Horse-detacher.



D. A. BRUNETT. HORSE DETAGHER. APPLIoATIoN FILED MAY 16, 1907.

904,505.- Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

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DEWITT A. BRUNETT, OF RICE LAKE, WISCONSIN.

HORSE-DETACHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 24, 1908.

Application filed May 16, 1907. Serial No. 373,935.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Dnwrrr A. BRUNETT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Itice Lake, in the county of Barron, State of lVisconsin,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horse-Detachers;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to horse releasers and has for its object toprovide a simple device of this character which will also enable a horseto be quickly hitched to a vehicle as well as quickly released.

In carrying out my invention7 I have provided a novel form of trace hookwhich comprises a lixed member and a pivoted member, the latter beingheld in position to connect the traces with the while-t-ree by means ofa leaf spring which is adapted to be sprung out of engagement with thesaid member to release the same and disconnect the traces from thewhiflle-tree.

In the accompanying` drawings-Figure 1 is a top plan view of the forwardportion of a vehicle showing the application of my invention thereto.Fig. 2 is a detail top plan view of the whiflie-tree. Fig. 3 is a frontelevation thereof. Fig. 4 is an end view of the Whittle-tree. Fig. 5 isa vertical sectional view taken in a plane with the end of the pivotedmember of the hook, and, Fig. 6 is a detail side elevation of one of theshafts of the vehicle.

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown a vehicle including theusual dashboard 10, the shafts 11, and the Whittle-tree 12, the latterbeing mounted in the usual manner and being provided at each of its endswith one of the trace hooks embodied in my invention.

Each of the trace hooks comprises a plate which is bent to form a sleeve13 encircling the Whittle-tree. Adjacent to one end of the sleeve ears14 proj ect from the meeting edges of the plate to form the shank of thehook, and between these ears is pivoted, as indicated at 15, the bill 16of the hook. The shank and bill are each substantially semicircular asshown, and normally the free end -of the bill is adapted to enter anopening 17 formed in the outer end of the at spring 18. This spring issecured at its inner end to an ear 18 projecting from one of theaforesaid edges of the plate and eX- tending at substantially rightangles to the ears 14. The outer end of each of the leaf springs iscurved rearwardly, as indicated by the numeral 19, so that when hitchingthe horse to the vehicle, the traces of the harness may be engaged withthe pivoted member or bill of the hook and the said member then swunginto vengagement with the latch. The latch, of course, prevents thepivoted member swinging outwardly and consequently the traces will beheld connected to the whiflle-tree until such time as the latches aresprung out of engagement with the pivoted members of the hooks.

In order that the movement of the latches, mentioned above, may beaccomplished, there is connected to the outer end of each latch a ropeor other flexible connection 20, these ropes being secured at theiropposite ends to a rope 21, which is secured at one of its ends to astaple or eye 22 upon the Whittle-tree and leads into the vehicle inconnection with which the device is used. As shown, the ropes 20 are notconnected to the end of the rope 21 but to it at a point adjacent itsend which is secured to the staple, the arrangement being such that evena hard pull upon the rope 21 will only move the spring latches adistance suflicient for their disengagement from the pivoted members ofthe hooks. 'This effectually prevents breaking of the spring latches. Apin 23 projects upwardly from each of the sleeves and limits the forwardmovement of the spring latches.

That is claimed, is-

A whiflle-tree hook comprising a plate bent to form a sleeve encirclingthe whithetree, ears projecting from the meeting edges ofthe plate andshaped to form the shank of the hook, a bill pivoted between said ears,an ear projecting from one of the aforesaid edges of the plate andextending at substantially right angles to the first mentioned ears, aspring connected at one end to the aforesaid ear, and having an openingto receive the point of the bill, and means connected to the other endof the spring for operating the same to release the bill.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

DEWITT A. BRUNETT.

Witnesses:

F. A. TATE,

JOSEPH BROWN.

